Ammittamru II explained

Ammistamru II
King of Ugarit
Succession:King of Ugarit
Reign:1230s BC
Predecessor:Niqmepa
Successor:Ibiranu
Spouse:[...] daughter of Bentesina, granddaughter of Hattusili III
Issue:Ibiranu
Death Place:Ugarit
Father:Niqmepa
Mother:Ahatmilku

Ammittamru II (also Ammistramru II) was a king of the ancient Syrian city of Ugarit who ruled from 1260 to 1235 BC.[1] He reigned for 25 years, being the son of former king Niqmepa,[2] who was famously forced to sign a treaty of vassalization to the Hittites.

Reign

Like all other Ugaritan kings, very few references of him exist. Ammittamru II is assumed to have used the seal of his grandfather, Niqmaddu II instead of the dynastic seal that reads: "Yaqarum, son of Niqmaddu, king of Ugarit", that was normally used by Ugaritan kings.[2] [3] He was a vassal king of the Hittite great kings Hattusili III and Tudhaliya IV.

Accession

His mother Ahatmilku supported his succession to the throne after the death of his father.[4] She banished two of her sons to Alashiya (Cyprus), when they contested this, but made sure they had sufficient supplies.[5]

Marriage

Ammittamru II married [...], daughter of Bentešina of Amurru to the south, and born to Kiluš-Ḫepa, daughter of Ḫattušili III.

Divorce

He later expelled his wife after she had committed serious misconduct and sent her back to Amurru. He then demanded her extradition in order to punish her for her deeds. Šaušgamuwa of Amurru (her brother) refused to extradite the lady because he feared her execution. As tension arose between the two vassals, the Hittite great king Tudḫaliya IV of Hatti interfered in the matter, as an escalating conflict between two important vassals would not have been in his favor. Then the Hittite viceroy Ini-Teššup of Carchemish decided that the ex-wife would have to be extradited and Šaušgamuwa should be paid 1400 shekels of gold to in return.

Succession

Ammittamru II determined his son Ibiranu as his successor during his lifetime.

Notes and References

  1. Book: Wilson-Wright, Aren. Athtart: The Transmission and Transformation of a Goddess in the Late Bronze Age. 2016. 9783161550102. 122.
  2. Book: Watson, Wilfred. Handbook of Ugaritic Studies. 1999. 9789004309678. 693.
  3. Book: Smith, Mark S.. The Ugaritic Baal Cycle: Volume I, Introduction with text, translation and commentary of KTU 1.1-1.2. 1994. 90. 9789004099951.
  4. Only One God?: Monotheism in Ancient Israel and the Veneration of the Goddess Asherah by Bob Becking, Meindert Dijkstra, Marjo Korpel, Karel Vriezen
  5. Book: Women in Ugarit & Israel . registration . Marsman, Hennie J . 2003 . Koninklijke Brill NV . Leiden . 660.